Please Don't Leave Me
by musicli
Summary: Short story


Korra walked the streets of Republic City, memories flashing in her head of the ugly fight her and Lin had had only a few days ago as the street lamps began lighting up.

"Lin, are you kidding me!" Korra yelled, putting her hands up in the air with frustration, "This is the second year you've forgotten our anniversary! You know I don't care much about my birthday and even some of the holidays but I know you know how important our anniversary is to me!" Korra frowned, "Do you know how embarrassing it is to be waiting around with Tenzin and his family for you to come home, all dressed up to go out to a nice dinner with you but you don't even come home until its so late that almost all of Republic City is even asleep!"

"Korra, I warned you a long time ago coming into this relationship that this could happen, I am terrible with dates and I can't predict my hours." Lin said sternly.

"But twice Lin!" Korra said irritated, "I understand the first time but you should have learned from it and remembered for this time!"

"I'm sorry, but I am not apologizing for the fact that my job is chaotic at times and I honestly get caught up in it causing me to forget important dates! I'm sorry it happened twice but I don't mean to! It's an accident but I at least warned you it could happen!" Lin raised her voice.

Korra huffed, looking away "Maybe you should just marry your job, since its obvious we never will," Korra spat out, immediately regretting it but it was already too late, she said it, and it had cut Lin deep.

Lately Korra and Lin had been discussing a lot of "what if" scenarios and the idea about them possibly being married one day was definitely talked about most now, causing both to make a verbal agreement that one day they wouldn't mind actually getting married. Little did Korra know, Lin had actually been working many "late nights with the squad" back at her old apartment, alone, working on a betrothal necklace for Korra. She was almost done with it and was planning on proposing this upcoming weekend, but not anymore.

Lin's face immediately reflected hurt but it was quickly hidden as it hardened, eyes dark. Lin hastily walked down the Air Temple Hall into her and Korra's bedroom, grabbing a bag and putting her possessions in it, ignoring the many failed attempts Korra used to try and block Lin's way or grab Lin's wrists to stop her from packing.

"I'm sorry! Please don't go! I didn't mean it!" Korra pleaded as she tried to wrap her arms around Lin's frame.

"Then why say it!" Lin spat out with a glare so harsh, Korra stood frozen as Lin roughly pushed Korra's arms away, fleeing the room, and then the island.

Korra arrived to the entrance of the apartment building, letting herself in and walking down the hall until she reached Lin's old apartment door, or was it just Lin's apartment now?

Lin had tried for years convincing Korra that the apartment was also hers and even after Korra had also almost moved in with Lin, but was stopped by the airbending family after being begged not to leave, for Korra had become family to them, as well as Lin, so they had been offered to both live on the island instead of in Republic City. So in Korra's mind, this still was Lin's apartment although Lin had moved out over a year ago, only keeping the apartment for late nights when Lin wouldn't get out of work until after the ferries had stopped running to Air Temple Island, sometimes pleasantly surprised to find Korra asleep on the couch waiting for her to arrive.

Korra knocked on the door, heart beating hard against her chest, threatening to break through. Anxiety filled her veins as she waited for a response, not surprised when she didn't get one. Lin knew she was here just as Korra knew Lin was there. The two of them having earthbending was both a blessing and a curse.

"Please, please just let me in," Korra pleaded as a tear escaped her eyes, "Please at least just give me the chance to talk to you."

And when the door still remained closed, Korra started knocking harder, throwing her fits against the door like a child throwing a tantrum, "Please just talk to me! I'll wait forever out here if I have to!"

The door opened, but only a crack, just barely revealing Lin as she looked down and away from Korra, "Just go home Korra, there's nothing here to talk about."

"But there is!" Korra cried, "Please don't act like there isn't! I can't stand to go home without you there another day. I won't go home without you!" Korra began sobbing, she regretted their fight so much, it wasn't worth them splitting up. She loved Lin so much that without her there, she couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, she could barely even bend. She had to make things right between them again, she didn't know how she could live without Lin in her life again.

Lin looked up and although the avatar was in tears, she could see the determination in Korra's eyes, she wasn't leaving anytime soon and Lin didn't need her earthbending to see Korra wasn't lying, so she opened the door and allowed Korra inside.

Once inside, Korra looked around the familiar apartment to find it littered with empty bottles of alcohol and cigarette boxes, "Did I- is the my fault?" Korra looked up to Lin, slightly shocked. She couldn't fight the feeling of guilt that overcame her as she frowned.

Lin ignored the question as she started walking around the apartment, picking up the bottles and boxes and throwing them away.

Korra simply sat down on the couch and tried to be as honest as should could be, "Lin, I'm honestly really sorry about what I said. I really didn't mean it, it just came out because I was frustrated but there was absolutely no meaning behind it. I regret it completely, no fight is worth it if it means losing you." Korra paused, "Please, come back home with me, I love you so much and it hurts like hell not having you in my life." Korra looked up at Lin who stood up against the wall by her desk, looking down, face blank as she thought.

"Is that true?" Lin asked unsure.

Korra furrowed her eyebrows, "I'd never lie to you, especially about something like that, couldn't you even tell with earthbending?"

Lin shock her head and sighed, "Not right now," Lin paused, "I've been having some... difficulties, that have also caused me to have to take off from work."

Korra felt a stab of guilt, she had caused so much unnecessary pain for both of them. She made it impossible for Lin to work, and Lin needs to be working as Chief of Police in Republic City where the city needs their Chief on a daily basis, just like it had needed her their anniversary night.

It was then Korra's eyes were caught by a small light being reflected off of something on Lin's desk. Korra stood up and walked over to find it was a multicolored, flat, circular stone with the four elements carved into it with silver imbedded into the carvings, making the elements pop out. Looking closer, Korra could see that it actually wasn't just one stone, but it was in fact was made of many tiny pieces blended together with a silver ring that surrounded the outside edges. Close by was a beautiful, navy blue silk ribbon with a silver clasp on each end, as if it were being made into a necklace.

Then it clicked. Korra gasped as she looked to Lin, dropping the stone onto the desk, "I-is that a betrothal necklace?" Korra gaped as her heart raced.

Lin's face turned bright red as she tried to hide her face under hands, just to have Korra pull them away and put her own hands on either side of Lin's face, forcing Lin to look at her, "It's beautiful," she started before she felt even more guilt pour over her, "I'm so sorry Lin, I didn't even think of the idea you may have been making a betrothal necklace. It makes me feel absolutely horrible about what I said and I wish I never did. I didn't even think as to how much it could have hurt you, but its obvious, I did hurt you, and badly."

Lin couldn't hold back the tears as they started to flow, "Oh Lin!" Korra began crying again, hugging Lin tight, "Please forgive me, I love you so much! I don't want to lose you!"

Lin wrapped her arms around Korra's waist, pulling Korra even closer and burying her face in Korra's hair, inhaling that uniquely Korra smell. Korra reached up to place her hands at the base of Lin's neck.

Lin sighed into Korra's hair, "I'm sorry too, I may have overreacted a little. I forget what it means to be in a serious relationship with someone sometimes, but I don't want to lose this one. I love you too, so much."

Korra breathed, "You didn't overreact, I probably would have reacted the same way if I had been making a betrothal necklace and you said that to me. Gosh Lin, I feel terrible, can I make it up to you somehow?"

"Say yes."

Korra pulled away, looking Lin in the eyes, heart fluttering, "Are you? Are you saying what I think you are?"

Lin reached for the silk necklace with one hand and bent the stone into her other hand before bending the silver around the stone and at the ends of the silk into thin strands, intertwining them into the silk of the necklace, successfully holding the stone in place while beautifully decorating the silk, officially completing the betrothal necklace.

She got down on one knee in front of Korra, "Avatar Korra, would you make me the happiest woman in the world and spend the rest of our lives together?" Lin held out the betrothal necklace, "Will you please marry me?"

Korra couldn't form words, but Lin's question was answered when she found herself holding Korra tight in her arms, sharing a deep, meaningful kiss with her.

When they pulled back, Lin began speaking again, "You know, all this time off has got me thinking, maybe I wouldn't mind taking a lower position to have more time off," Lin smirked.

"Only if you want to, I know how much your job means to you," Korra responded.

Lin nodded, "I want to spend more time with the people I love, I feel like I finally have a family again but I never see them right now and I want that to change. I've changed my priorities, and work isn't my top priority now, you are."

Korra smiled and kissed Lin again, "How about we enjoy a night alone before we go back home?" Korra grinned.

Lin's grinned back, "I think I can arrange for that," she said before kissing Korra and picking her up in her arms and heading to the bedroom.


End file.
